Priests in Antonio Bay apparently were not subject to the Vatican's usual requirement of clerical celibacy. Thus, Fr. Malone's grandfather was also a priest. Surprised that nobody else has caught on to this. And don't use the Episcopalian loophole, because their priests aren't usually referred to as "Father."

P.S. I really did love this movie. But that little niggling detail has stuck with me since 1980! LOL

THE FOG is perhaps John Carpenter's best work, combining excellent seacoast atmosphere with eerie fog bound ships and bodies rising from their gurnies. Jamie Lee is her usual scream queen self and mother Janet Leigh is a hoot as a rather irritating social fat cat who runs the anniversary show commemorating the founding of the town (of course, based upon the deaths of a few victims on the sailing ship and the theft of gold from same). Excellent movie, with creepy atmosphere and gory sounds if not sights.

To Elaine Hines remarks: True. Maybe it is a sort of criticism against church. Carpenter is known to be an agnostic, and often his vision of the church and christianity are quite negative (see "Vampires", specially). Here, while Father Malone is one of the few possitive characters who tries to fight the doom over Antonio Bay, his final sacrifice is completely useless, whereas in any other horror film he would be at least a solution to the problem. Church members & other professionals (doctors, teachers, cops) are often the heroes of this kind of films.

To the rest: I agree completely. Not only "The fog" is one of the best films in Carpenter's career, but also from all the 80's. All people should watch it at least once so they can understand what we call "atmosphere" referring to a film. I particularly like the scene in the morgue when Jamie Lee Curtis is about to be attacked (or so we think) by a resurrected.

The Fog is my favourite movie of all time. (I am a budding screenplay writer myself and in fact have half completed a sequel. I wrote to John Carpenter with my idea and for his permission but heard nothing.

The film is almost perfect. Brilliant atmospherics. A truly inspirational and original story which is the film's strong point. The musical score is superb and that loud banging as the car attempts to outrun the fog is well, brilliant. I love the film to bits and would defend it to the hilt against all critics. There are one or two little blips however. (But then again we could find them in any film - look at Titantic?)

I agree with a previous reviewer. How can Father Malone be a descendant of his late Grandfather when he was an obvious Catholic priest? A Benedictine is a Catholic prayer ceremony I am reliably informed. Who was the poor unfortunate bastard who was shortchanged with the subsequent purchase of the short measure orange juice from the grocery store? Having video taped the movie several times I still cannot make out what is going on when Stevie Wayne is about to get it at the lighthouse. Most of it is blurred and you have to view the movie several times to see what is happening. The gold coin bit which Nick referred to "The Erisa Jane". Is this somehow linked to The Elizabeth Dane?. A cop out as a previous reviewer comented on was the fact that the "goody" Father Malone, "got it in the neck" so to speak. He should have been spared. Finally, if all this was happening on the Californian coastline would not the FBI or the CIA be looking for mass murderers? Explain this to the local sheriff: Well Sherrif, there were these men covered in seaweed and brandishing sicyles who proceeded to slash their victims to death etc. Maybe it was a case for Mulder and Scully.

I still love the movie to death and think it's the best horror ever.

Please E Mail if you're a fan of The Fog. Would love to hear from you.

I made a slight but crucial error in my previous E Mail comment. Benedictine is of course alcohol (which Father Malone was probably drinking. It should have read Benediction - a Catholic church dedication. Sorry!

Had originally dismissed this as being slightly boring when me and a friend snuck into a drive-in in the 80s to see a double feature of The Fog and The Boogyman (I think). But after watching it a few years ago it has some great moments. Classic bit with grandma being snatched! Love it! I'm a radio personally who also happens to like lighthouses AND Adrian Barbeau. Uh hum. And I figure if Leigh would lay out that old guy...some of us would have a chance too...haha! The fog effects are very good. I watch this at least once a year during October.

I thought it was a good movie, but it ceased to be even remotely scary once you realized the ghosts were only going to kill a limited number of people- it would have been MUCH scarier if they sought revenge against everyone, creeping from house to house and murdering everybody.

Good for a rent, not much more though. There are better ghost movies out there.

This is a very underappreciated film. The atmosphere (especially during the opening credits when everything the town is going haywire) can really get under your skin. Even during broad daylight (such as the scene when Adrienne Barbeau hears the ghostly voice in the lighthouse and the driftwood catches fire) this film is guaranteed to deliver.

As someone who knows a bit about theology, I must take issue with the writer who warned not to use the Episcopalian excuse. There are what are described as "high Episcopalians' and "low Episcopalians", meaning that the former maintain a good deal of the pomp and traditionalism that are found in the Catholic Church. (I happen to be Greek Orthodox, by the way, so I am totally objective about all this). The term "Father" is quite often used by "high Episcopalians", and since Antonio Bay is your typical traditional small town, it was no doubt populated, at least in the nineteenth century, by "high Episcopalians". Any Catholic priest who would have been married (unless he was of the Eastern Maronite or Melchite rite) would have automatically been defrocked and excommunicated by the Vatican.

One other thing: The Fog is definitely one of my all time favorite movies, but if the ghosts were only after the descendants of the six original conspirators, then why were they trying to kill everyone else in the film? I mean, Stevie Wayne and her son both come ever so close to getting knocked off. Did they just happen to be "in the way"?